Sussex cottage / 2

Wonderfully precise and accurate drawing Mia. Thanks for your kind comment on my rose.

Basically a line drawing, with a minimum of shading - you could of course take this a lot farther if you want to, but it has considerable charm as it is. You remind me that I used to be so much braver than I am now: I too used to draw with pen and ink directly: can't think why I stopped, but I'm going to have a go at it again. There's something about applying dead black ink to pure white paper that's both exhilarating and frightening!

Agree with Rober, you have the confidence to apply the ink immediately to the white paper. It is awesome and it is a beautiful painting as well.

Thank you very much Carole, Robert and Ping, for taking the time to have a look at my drawing and post a comment. ROBERT, I think of all the possible techniques in painting and drawing, drawing immediately in ink with a pen or a brush is the most challenging ever.There is no possibility of correcting a mistake and that is what I like: there is more thinking and "meditation"? involved because every mistake is the end of it!! And I love that: it was ok on the first attempt!

Well done Mia, good observation and shadow placement. Also ideal for a painting

A delightful drawing and with no prior pencil work as well, wonderful. Thank you for the lovely comment on my posting, much appreciated.

Your eye for perspective is perfect! A super drawing.

Mia didn't you find that in putting aside your pencil the drawing was infact more accurate and spontaneous? I deslike pencil lines, I end up dithering about and scrubbing away too much with the rubber. I find pencil lines can be a problem in watercolour work. They can damage the surface of the paper and cause the watercolour to go muddy. You've guessed by now that I am very anti pencil. You've proved me right here! This is a lovely confident sketch

So very beautiful, Mia! There is just something so pristine and elegant about your work, and this is one very good illustration of that. Like everyone else, I really admire your formidable draftng skills.

Marvellous drawing skills, beautiful subject.

Thank you all so very much for your lovely, positive comments. You are quite right, Louise. Drawing immediately in ink makes it a lot more spontaneous and lively. Pre-drawing in pencil makes you follow the existing lines too much. During my training at art school, the artist who gave us sketching lessons didn't allow us to have or use a rubber. If there is a wrong line, put a new one on the right place. This makes you more concentrated about each line you are going to draw on the paper and you can see where you went wrong, otherwise maybe you make the same mistake again!! I also never use a soft pencil for a watercolour : HB or B, never 2B, drawing very lightly.

Hi Mia, same here, my tutor at art college didn't allow us to use a rubber. Perhaps it was the same chap, you weren't at Manchester college of art in the 70's were you !!!:} :} Now that would be too much of a coincidence. !

Hello Louise, no, I was in Bruges (Belgium) in the 60's!!!

We had like-minded tutors though.! (it was early 70's!)

A lovely drawing, not overworked but enough to really capture it.

Thank you very much, Paul, I appreciate your comments very much!